Why It Works
- The rosemary-infused syrup adds a woodsy, piney note that accents the muddled peach.
- A half-ounce of lemon juice moderates the drink's sweetness, but does not take the cocktail into mouth-puckering whiskey sour territory.
Soft and fuzzy to the touch, blushed with hues of orange, pink, and red, peaches are in season and I'm loving it. The market is flush with juicy, fragrant white and yellow peaches that are bursting with flavor. Since they're such a tender fruit, peaches should be handled with care—as our farmers say, a squeeze today creates a bruise tomorrow—and eaten with a day or two of purchase. With a lonely peach still sitting on my counter a few days after I bought it, it was a do-or-die situation (for the peach that is). A cocktail, sweet from peach juice, herbal from rosemary syrup, and perfectly boozy from bourbon, was just the answer to this problem.
Ripe, almost squishy peaches work great for this cocktail, since the peaches will be muddled anyway and you're looking to get as much peach juice as possible. To balance out the sweet and tangy flavor of the peaches, rosemary syrup brings a little sophistication and an herbal note that meanders through each sip. Bourbon complements the juiciness of the peaches while bringing more depth to the cocktail. The result is a classic-tasting cocktail with a fresh seasonal spin.
Something tells me you might want to stock on peaches next week.
July 2012
Recipe Details
Peach and Rosemary Cocktail Recipe
Ingredients
For the Cocktail:
4 ripe peach slices
1/2 ounce fresh juice from 1 lemon
1/2 ounce rosemary simple syrup (see recipe below)
1 1/2 ounces bourbon
For the Rosemary Simple Syrup:
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 sprig rosemary
Directions
To Make the Syrup: Combine water, rosemary, and sugar in a small saucepan. Heat over high heat until boiling, stirring to dissolve sugar. Reduce to a simmer and continue to cook until for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Strain through a fine mesh strainer.
For the Cocktail: Muddle the peach slices and rosemary syrup in the bottom of a cocktail shaker. Fill the shaker with ice, add the lemon juice and bourbon and shake for 10 seconds. Strain through a mini strainer into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a rosemary sprig.
Special Equipment
Muddler, cocktail shaker, fine-mesh strainer, mini strainer
Make-Ahead and Storage
Rosemary syrup will keep for one week in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
Read More
Nutrition Facts (per serving) | |
---|---|
269 | Calories |
2g | Fat |
66g | Carbs |
6g | Protein |
Nutrition Facts | |
---|---|
Servings: 1 | |
Amount per serving | |
Calories | 269 |
% Daily Value* | |
Total Fat 2g | 2% |
Saturated Fat 0g | 1% |
Cholesterol 0mg | 0% |
Sodium 0mg | 0% |
Total Carbohydrate 66g | 24% |
Dietary Fiber 9g | 33% |
Total Sugars 59g | |
Protein 6g | |
Vitamin C 47mg | 233% |
Calcium 38mg | 3% |
Iron 2mg | 9% |
Potassium 1186mg | 25% |
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. |